Flyers' Matvei Michkov recalls going up against Quinn Hughes & $92,800,000 Canucks superstar on his NHL debut

Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov discussed his NHL debut in a July 19 interview. Michkov finished the 2024–25 season with 26 goals and 37 assists. He played 80 games and led all NHL rookies in goals.

Michkov's debut game was against the Vancouver Canucks, which the Flyers won in a shootout with a 3-2 score. He did not register a point in that game, but had two penalty minutes for hooking against Teddy Blueger. He remembered going up against Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, who is signed on an 8-year, $92.8 million contract, according to Spotrac.com.

"When I went out against Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, it was like I was playing on a PlayStation," Michkov said, as quoted by Championat.com's Anton Nekrasov. "The players were skating around me, my head was spinning, I didn't understand where I was at all, even the light was falling on the rink differently. Everything was different.

"I was under the impression when I was still doing the rookie lap. I thought, 'Damn, where did I end up?' It was such a pleasant excitement."

Michkov said he felt lost during the first period. He found his rhythm in the second and third periods. The Flyers even trusted him with a penalty shot, but he missed.

"It gave me even more of a push and mood for the next game to concentrate and really start scoring and passing, helping the team," Michkov said.

The Flyers drafted Matvei Michkov seventh in 2023 and joined the team in the 2024-25 NHL season. He tied for the second-most points among rookies with 63.

Matvei Michkov felt the need to do more in the Flyers' season-ending interview

Matvei Michkov was named Rookie of the Month twice, in October and February. Only a few Flyers rookies have done that in the last 30 years. He also had the most even-strength points among rookies.

“Truthfully, there were more moments within the season I felt I could have done better," Michkov said via NHL.com, through interpreter Slava Kuznetsov. "I could’ve scored a lot more. Not very happy with my result,"

Speaking about Michkov, Flyers GM Daniel Briere mentioned the pressure of joining a team as a top player. He said it's not easy to walk into a room where teammates may look at the new player as someone expected to save the team.

"The way he did it and at the same time trying to keep his swagger, he earned the players’ respect with how he carried himself," Briere said.

Matvei Michkov became the first Flyers player under 21 to get 50 points since 2000–01.